Call for volunteers for a major research project

As I have mentioned in the past, in January 2017 I will be starting a major new project entitled “History of the Orthodox People” (HOP). The main goal of this project is to present a general history of the various local Orthodox Churches in general and, specifically, to restore the historical truth about the genocides committed against the Orthodox people and about the subsequent historical cover-ups. The rationale for this goal setting is the awareness that it is impossible to understand the current situation of the various (even nominally) Orthodox nations without understanding what I would call their identify-shaping historical events. It is now becoming increasingly obvious that Orthodox countries (especially, but not only, Russia) do offer a distinct civilizational model. In order to understand this model it is crucial to first understand the historical events which shaped that model. Finally, it is a fact that most people in the West have almost zero knowledge of Orthodoxy (beyond some vague appreciation for a different religious rite and beautiful singing) or, even less so, of the history of the Orthodox Church. This project will hopefully contribute to increase the public awareness of what Orthodoxy really is and where it came from.

In practical terms, this will involve the creation an separate website which would be both directly accessible by its own domain nameand seamlessly integrated into the Saker Blog under a separate page “History of the Orthodox People”. In this manner, the readers of the Saker blog will have a informational resource built-in the blog to find at least some basic information about Orthodoxy in general and about the history of the local Orthodox Churches.

The project will include the following section:

A first section on Orthodoxy in general: a simple collection of fundamental texts or essays on what the Orthodox believe. The purpose would be to correct some misconceptions and provide a basic but fundamentally sound collection of texts explaining what Orthodoxy really is.

A second section would focus on the history of various local Orthodox Churches. The Greek and Russian local Churches, of course, but also Arab Orthodoxy, West European Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy in America, etc. This is the section in which the interactions between the Orthodox people, the Muslim world, the Papacy and the Protestant world would be presented, but each time through the prism of a local Orthodox Church.

A third section would be a “restoring the historical truth” section in which specific and largely obfuscated historical events would be discussed in some detail with the aim of restoring the truth about a number of events including, but not limited, to the genocide of the Serbian people during WWII, the Union of Brest, the Armenian genocide and the current genocide of Christians in the Middle-East.

For that purpose, a multi-national team of Orthodox researchers will be formed with each individual member in charge of researching the history of one specific local Orthodox Church. Right now, the Serbian and Romanian Team Leaders have already joined the project, but we are still looking for Bulgarian, Armenian, Greek, Russian and other Team Leaders. The main requirement for these Team Leaders is to have a solid knowledge of the history of the corresponding local Orthodox church. Please note that we could also create special categories such as “Arab Orthodoxy” or “East European Orthodoxy” which would technically involve more than one local Orthodox Church but which could be examined together. One most interesting one would be a “1000 years of West European Orthodoxy” which would deal with the time period in which Western Europe was part of the rest of the Christian world.

We are also looking for research assistants willing to assist the Team Leaders in their research. The main requirement for them is to be know the corresponding local church language.

My personal role in this project will be double: I will be in charge of the first “basics of Orthodoxy” section and I will be the Project Director and Editor in Chief for the website. I am therefore looking for one, possibly two, research assistants who could help me with my work on the Saker blog and for the History of the Orthodox People project. The main requirement for these positions are to be interested in doing research over the Internet (to locate specific historical documents for example) and good command of English (to write project-related correspondence, such as contacting various historical or religious institutions). A working knowledge of Russian and/or Greek and/or Arabic would be a huge plus.

If you are interested in participating in this project in any capacity, please email me a vineyardsaker@gmail.com and please write “HOP project” in the subject line of your email.

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Thanks for the kind offer, but a good knowledge of English is the #1 condition to participate in the project as most, but not all, of our output will be in English.
So maybe you could post the English text?
Cheers and thanks,
The Saker

“most people in the West have almost zero knowledge of Orthodoxy (beyond some vague appreciation for a different religious rite”

You may have exposed a fact that’s essential to all additional knowledge gained through your research project. I can echo anonymous’s comment. A former Roman Catholic, I was happy to find a Russian Orthodox church in Santa Barbara ,CA until I discovered that services were provided only in Russian. Is it possible that knowledge of the Russian Orthodox Church is limited because it’s essentially an ethnic religion that doesn’t promote outreach to non-Russian speakers? The church I’m referring to has an English translation on its website, which is confusing, since it describes in English church functions that are culturally and linguistically restricted to Russian speakers. If so, I assume that this is an appropriate response to persecution and to the maintenance of cultural identity by Russian refugees; my knowledge of this local church is from a neighbor who was a survivor of Stalin’s Long March.

Is it possible that knowledge of the Russian Orthodox Church is limited because it’s essentially an ethnic religion that doesn’t promote outreach to non-Russian speakers?

Sadly enough, yes. Absolutely. Russian (and Greek) Orthodoxy both often suffer from that obnoxious phenomenon I call the “rot of ethno-phyletism” which, by the way, is a clear betrayal or the Orthodox theology and ethos. That rot somehow, almost magically, associates the Orthodox faith with the Russian (or Greek) ethnicity and promotes the notion that to be Orthodox you have to be Russian or Greek. Even worse, the Russians actually have the concept of “God-bearing people” (narod bogonosets) while some Greeks think of themselves as the “all-humanity” (pan ethniki) meaning that they are the best of the best of mankind. Needless to say, that kind of nationalist self-worship completely contradicts the very basis of Christianity and is, in fact, very similar to the Judaic self-worship of the Pharisees who saw themselves as children of Abraham by birthright and not by a personal spiritual struggle.
This is a shame, a disgrace and it did – and still does – a lot of damage to the Orthodox Church.
True Christianity is simply incompatible with nationalism, nevermind self-worship.
This being said, I have no problem with emigres groups maintaining their national traditions, language and rites. This is a fine line. Each nation has in its own unique way contributed to the richness of the Orthodox tradition and every Christian should have the right and opportunity to worship in whatever language he/she prefers. But the moment you try to force (practically or in theory) the other to only worship according to your ethnic tradition you depart from the true Orthodox tradition.
Kind regards,
The Saker

Yes to all that. The Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Kensington, London is the most unfriendly Christian church in London, but it is mostly the congregation that are the problem. Most of them are very aloof and look down on indigenous Londoners.

There are a couple of priests that speak good English. One who was converted while studying the Orthodoxy of Constantinople at university, and another who was born in Russia but educated in England.

Most services in Kensington are done half in Russian and half in English and some services are in either Russian or English only. Thus you can understand what is going on. But if you have been brought up as a Christian you can follow the Church Russian service fairly easily even if you can’t speak a word of Russian like myself, I find. (Maybe this is easier for English people rather than Americans?)

The choir, which is almost angelic at times, almost exclusively sticks to Church Russian.

But if this is too difficult for you the cathedral bookshop stocks a wide range of English books, (mostly published in the US), which explains all you could want to know from the history of Orthodoxy through to whose who in the Church both in London and Russia.

The Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Bayswater, London, is a lovely traditional, but very small Greek style church. There are other Greek Orthodox churches around London but they have a reputation of keeping to themselves.

Personally I believe, that now the Church of England has adopted politically correct (Jewish inspired) cultural Marxism most people no longer see it as a Christian church any longer, and if the Russian Orthodox Church pulled out its finger Britain could easily become an Orthodox nation by 2050.

“the Russians actually have the concept of “God-bearing people” (narod bogonosets)”
Could you elaborate? I can see tones of self-worship with the Greek phrase “pan ethniki” but it does not seem as obvious with narod bogonosets. It is not an exclusive phrase as I understand it. To claim that tvoi narod bogonosets does not make the claim that other people have not also born God through the Centuries.
It doesn’t seem an unreasonable phrase to use. If the Russians hadn’t been a “God-bearing people” then would not Catholicism be even more dominant today than it is already in the western world? Would Orthodoxy have survived even?
I can understand warnings against big-headed self-importance, but is that a common attitude?

I would argue that the problem with nationalism is a relatively modern one that only arose with the Westphalian system and the artificial identities imposed upon peoples as a tool of division. It is a complex problem that can only be understood when one understands our history and one understands the actions of the enemy. Take for example the Roman State (properly Ῥωμανία) and its universality and compare it to the modern mess we have today. Who benefits?

Another thought – these “Greek” and “Russian” Churches, whoever nationalist they may appear today, may one day, God willing, be the foundations upon which is a built a return to that universality.

Many in the west have zero knowledge of the Orthodox church but this is also true for many Orthodox people as well. Especially those in diaspora. I am an Orthodox and I could say that I know maybe only the basics. All your texts on this subject are very interesting and informative and I thank you for them. I will try to help out with this project as much as I can.

I have taken the liberty of providing a Google translation so that others can become involved in the conversation if they wish to. -fk mod

“Father ours, thou in the heavens, consecrate thy name. Come [King] rich in yours. Be thou, as in heaven and on earth.
Loaf our daily give us {an} this day. And forgive us that we are debtors, as well as we let the debtors ours. And do not tempt us, but deliver us from evil.
For yours is {the} [king] rich and {the} power and {the} glory in eternities.”

I am currently doing preliminary work on a history or Ethiopia, with particular interest in its Christian and Jewish roots. I don’t know if you plan to include non-Chalcedonian groups in your project, but if so, I would have an interest. I am a historian by trade. (deanarnold.org)

Congratulations on this new very interesting project! Unfortunately I do not fulfill your requirements, but I will enjoy reading and learning. I wish you all the best in your search for Truth and bless you for your will to share it. Thank you Saker

Clearly England and parts of Wales were Orthodox up until the schism of 1045, which is what the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Kensington, London teaches. But the big question is from when?

There were two Churches prior to Orthodoxy.

One loosely referred to as the Gaelic Church centred in Ireland which sent missionaries to Scotland, parts of Scandinavia (Faroes where there was a monastery), Wales and Cornwall, and what is now Cumbria in northern England.

The other is the Gnostic Church which was established in South Wales, Cornwall and some parts of south west England no later than 40AD and widely accepted by the Druids.

There is written evidence that King Caractacus gave Joseph of Arimethea 20 hides of land around 37AD to support not only himself but also his family. And it is believed that Jesus visited Cornwall and western England and Wales to preach both as a child with his father and as an adult in his own right.

The Druids were feared by the Romans and many believe the Romans invaded Britain not only to crush the Druids but to destroy the first Gnostic Christian elements which the Druids had adopted in Britain.

It is no good going to the Orthodox, Catholic (Roman), Church of England or any other Protestant church to ask about the Gnostic presence in Britain since it is in none of their interests to admit it. But there is a folklore history that relates to these events which provided the first clue which ultimately led to hostorical research from archived records.

Alternative, non Establishment, historians are the only ones to believe this. But I can provide a link to help you if you are interested.

Not sure that as Orthodox people you would be interested in discovering that Jesus and his father got to Britain before all the recognised Churches were even established!

The legend which may have a core of truth is that Joseph of Arimatheia came to Britain in 37AD and founded the church at Glastonbury.
The legend that Jesus Christ came in person to Britain was popularised in a poem written by William Blake in the early 19th Century. It was revived in film entitled ‘And Did Those Feet’, aired by the BBC in 2009. The film examines the story of Jesus’ supposed visit, which survives in the popular hymn Jerusalem. It peddled the ‘Druidic’ fantasies which are the staple food of the New Ageist mob, Wicca, and assorted neo-paganist clowns.

The general tenor of the legend is that “Jesus came to the west of England with his uncle (not his father as the recent unhinged claim) Joseph of Arimathea, who was here for tin,” in his youth. In the BBC film the Church of Scotland minister Dr Gordon Strachan claimed that “Jesus Christ could have come to England to further his education. He needed to go around to learn bits and pieces about ancient wisdom, and the druids in Britain went back hundreds if not thousands of years. He probably came here to meet the druids, to share his wisdom and gain theirs.”
Not that the claims that Britain was evangelized at a very eary date are to be dissmissed. But they have to be cleared of all the neo-paganist dross.

Can’t vouch for the veracity of this, but it’s certainly a fascinating account of the Varangian Guard in Byzantium, and connected to the history of Orthodoxy ( albeit from a purely secular/material perspective:)

For an ‘English’ approach to Orthodoxy, the best introduction would be the site “Orthodox England” of Fr. Andrew Phillips http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/
“Archpriest Andrew Phillips (b. 1956) is an English parish priest of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), rector of St. John of Shanghai Orthodox Church in his birthplace of Colchester, Essex, in the United Kingdom. With 840 square metres of space this multinational parish, which has a Romanian deacon and serves 24 different nationalities, probably has the largest Russian Orthodox Church building in Western Europe. From Colchester he has been encouraging the spread and practice of Russian Orthodoxy throughout the East of England and further still. Indeed, as Western European representative of the Missionary Department of ROCOR and a member of the ROCOR/Patriarchal Commission for the Diaspora, he actively promotes unity between the two parts of the Russian Church in Western Europe. This is in the hope that one day they will form a united Metropolia, as part of a multi-Metropolia Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, as foreseen in the 2007 agreement between the two parts of the Russian Church”@https://orthodoxwiki.org/Andrew_Phillips.

I also recommend Fr. Andrew Phillips. He has a broad knowledge of Orthodoxy in England. His index of articles will give you an idea of various Orthodox topics (mainly cultural/historical/political) he has written about.

Oh Saker, if only one had time and time… Speak E. and R, (Krym-born), father Rusin, with a 300-hundred-year-old R.O. church in his village, and interested in the subject, plus a research assistant… but how to fit it into one’s schedule? It was actually Saker’s comment about the Byzantine Empire that I realized – even though I grew up in the Slavic world – I knew very little about it (and history is my favourite!). How could this be? So the project is certainly worthwhile – and possibly huge. Any sense of how much time you think this would take? And where’s the beginning? I will reach out if I figure out the time question…

Can’t be of much help apart from suggesting getting in touch with an Orthodox Church nearby. It is the St. Mary Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Church and is situated in Bradford in the UK. Apparently we were home to the largest community of ex-pat Ukrainians in Europe at one time. I’ve thrown the suggestion your way as they have all the usual social media outlets so thought you may be able to make some form of contact.

I knew we had a large Polish community but the large Ukrainian presence was new to me and I’ve lived here 62 years. I was certain there was also a Russian Orthodox Church in the vicinity but perhaps that is no longer, will check further today.

Suggest including something in Section 2 (&/or 3) on early migration to India (St Thomas sold into slavery)

“Indian Orthodox Church: Also known as Malankara Orthodox Church or Orthodox Syrian Church of the East, it is the largest Orthodox Church ion India, considered to be the national Church of India. This Church traces its origin to the apostolic mission of St Thomas.”

Not much I can help you with directly but Bede Griffiths (now deceased) converted to Catholicism and went to India to marry ‘East & West’ — I believe tracing the links to the Syrian church.

However, before you write him off as OT maybe consider this reference from Wikipedia on the “Syriac Rite monastery of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in Kerala”:

During Griffiths’ time at Farnborough, he had come to know Father Benedict Alapatt, a European-born monk of Indian descent who was greatly interested in establishing a monastery in his homeland. Griffiths had already been introduced to Eastern thought, yoga and the Vedas and took interest in this proposed project. The abbot at first refused permission. Later, however, he changed his mind and authorised Griffiths to go to India with the Indian member of the community. There was one condition, though: Griffiths was not to be there as a member of the abbey, but as a priest subject to a local bishop, which meant that he would be giving up his vows.

Christian yogi
After some painful inner debate, Griffith agreed to this and, in 1955, he embarked for India with Alapatt. At the time, he wrote to a friend: “I am going to discover the other half of my soul.”[citation needed] After arriving and visiting some spiritual centres in the country, they settled in Kengeri in Bangalore, considered[by whom?] the garden spot of India, with the goal of building a monastery there. That project was eventually unsuccessful as Griffiths left the location in 1958, saying that he found it “too Western”.

Griffiths then joined with a Belgian monk, Father Francis Acharya, OCSO, to establish Kristiya Sanyasa Samaj, Kurisumala Ashram (“Mountain of the Cross”), a Syriac Rite monastery of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in Kerala. They sought to develop a form of monastic life based in the Indian tradition, adopting the saffron garments of an Indian sannyasi (an ascetic or monk). At that point, Griffiths took the Sanskrit name “Dayananda” (“bliss of compassion”). During that time he continued his studies in the religions and cultures of India, writing Christ in India while there. He also visited the United States during the period, giving a number of talks about East–West dialogue and being interviewed by CBS television.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bede_Griffiths

[Note: unfortunately the bold seems to be a feature of your blog — not intentional in post]

Way beyond my level of basic knowledge but the reference to “East Syrian Rite” and “West Syrian Rite” in various google searches sounds an interesting point to explore (and now with a current geopolitical focus). I’d be interested to hear your thoughts at some stage.

What a wonderful initiative. Regrettably I do not know Russian and my old Greek, from my student days has just about shrunk to being able to read the Greek script and listening to the echos of old etymologies.
As a comment on a comment, I am not a Catholic, and I can hardly think how anyone who read the History of the Popes, could remain one. Though there are individual, rare and almost heroic priestly figures who take their mission seriously.
Still, I think that the migration from Latin to local languages in the Mass, has greatly reduced the sense of sacrality involved in the ceremony – irrespective of how much of the language was understood by the brethren.

Hello Saker and fellow commentators–God Bless You, and Thank you for embarking upon this worthy project!!–“the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step”, and in this case, the journey will be through time as well. You all may be acquainted with “The Vatican against the Orthodox Church” (available online) ,excerpted from the book by Avro Manhattan “Vatican Imperialism in the 20th Century, Zondervan Publishers, Gr. Rapids, MI 1965. As someone who formerly attended the Catholic Church (my wife was raised Catholic) this was a very difficult read.

In April 1820, the first Orthodox service in Australia was held at Kirribilli Point (Sydney) by Fr. Dionisii, a Russian Orthodox chaplain.

According to 2011 Census, 563,100 people in Australia has declared Orthodox faith. This is 2.6% of Australia’s population; Eastern Orthodox, if taken together, would be the fourth-largest Church in Australia, and is currently the fifth-largest Christian grouping in Australia (behind Catholicism, Anglicanism, Uniting, and Presbyterian/Reformed churches).

6 December 2016 / Dear Saker— I’m an American, single F, former Bostonian, living in Vermont,
USA, with a background in the fine arts (19th-century French beaux arts drawing and painting),
former phototypesetter before the advent of the web, former Legislative Aide in Boston, with a
connection to Tibetan Vajradhatu Buddhism, a connection to publishing. I just wanted to share with
you that I’ve been reading the works of Nicholas Berdyaev, a turn-of-the-century orthodox Russian
thinker, whom I find one of the most profound voices I’ve ever read. So clearly, you’re on to something
here, in your work. We can only hope the change of administration in the US will bring us a detente
with Putin and that the evil Pentagon will somehow be brought to heel. Ditto for NATO.
Good luck in your endeavors. Sinc., Diana Licht #

Thanks for posting this interesting topic! You won’t believe how obsessed I have become on the history of the Orthodox faith I was born into and left, abandoned it, in fact thought how old fashioned faith it was! Going to Southern India, Kirala, after being in US for so long completely changed my view on this faith. The Church reminded me of my birthplace as tears started to pour down my face thinking I too have this faith, chanting, chimes and the aroma of incense which once again took me back to my childhood.

However, I don’t want to be pessimistic but a recent post on alternative news Voltaire Nework said that Christians in the Middle East are once again being annihilated, France is helping Turkey/Erdegon in the rise of the second Ottoman by incorporating the Greek Islands and parts of Cyprus. This shows how the war on the Orthodox faith has continued for eons and will continue. Therefore, I am too weary of revealing Orthodox faith that Christians in other parts of the world are struggling to live as will only exacerbate their pain and suffering by providing information that would only weaken the Orthodox and these Christians. After all, providing knowledge about the Orthodox to the West would only give more information that would weaken the Orthodox at this time and age where the Orthodox is being attacked from every corner, by Protestants, Wahabists and Catholics because that is where money is coming from to convert those who adhere to the Orthodox faith.

Apart from that, I too have dream of understanding the Orthodox faith from the point of this particular nation that is too isolated and today is struggling against the Protestants and the Catholics who are pouring money into this nation to create war between the Orthodox and the new Western Churches. In addition, the government is corrupting for the first time the Orthodox church and its priests. Faith has nothing to do with wealth/money but about salvation, the newly Western church converts are saying the fund that is coming from the West to them is improving their lives and they are now considering the Orthodox faith as ancient, old fashion and doesn’t improve lives.

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